9 countries worth visiting for Belarusians this year. Travel tips from a traveler
Spring is the perfect time to plan your summer vacation. Budzma.org asked seasoned traveler Aliaksandr Hoishyk where, in his opinion, Belarusians should go this year.
Aliaksandr Hoishyk in Uzbekistan. Photo from personal archive
— What do you recommend to Belarusians — especially those inside Belarus who don't have visas?
— First, I would highly recommend paying attention to Uzbekistan. It's an incredibly interesting country, with medieval centers of civilization, culture, and science — Bukhara, Samarkand, Khiva. With ancient architecture, with incredibly beautiful mosques with huge blue domes.
And at the same time, the country has modern Tashkent, where, by the way, I saw Yakub Kolas Square — and his bust. During my round-the-world trip in 2024, I arrived in Uzbekistan after two weeks of traveling in Afghanistan, and I had the impression that I had traveled 200 years into the future by time machine.
I was very surprised how much Uzbekistan has changed since 2010, when everything there was permeated with corruption (although the registration requirement still remains). Now it has developed infrastructure — high-speed railways, highways, etc. Very delicious cuisine.
And the prices are quite affordable. Flights there can be found without spending all the money in the world. No visa is needed, nor any language proficiency (almost everyone speaks Russian).
I would especially like to highlight the extraordinary hospitality of Uzbeks (Uzbekistan is a multinational country — for example, there are many Tajiks there). An interesting feature: during the USSR, Uzbeks and Tajiks were often sent to serve in Belarus. Therefore, in Uzbekistan, locals quite often told me something like: "Oh, Belarus, I served in Uruchcha in 1988!"
— The second direction you would recommend considering?
— Georgia, my most favorite country in the post-Soviet space. Undoubtedly, after 2022, Georgia has changed significantly: many "good" Russians have moved there, everything has become more expensive, and Georgians seem to be no longer as hospitable and open as before, and the political system has changed for the worse.
But despite all this, Georgia is a country with sea, mountains, and an incredible number of interesting places. I don't even know where to start, what to list: wherever you point on the map — historical sites, ancient cities, caves. Plus delicious and inexpensive cuisine, wine.
Next, I suggest considering more distant destinations. And again, I will primarily focus on Belarusians inside Belarus, for whom obtaining visas is extremely difficult today.
— And what will be the third direction?
— Turkey, with a direct connection from Minsk.
— A closed resort, "all inclusive", right?
— Right, "five days, six nights," "all inclusive and nothing excluded." Of course, I'm not that type of traveler, so I suggest considering the option of an independent trip.
Turkey is not only a coastline and beach holidays (both the Black Sea and the Mediterranean), but also ancient sites, cities, and mountains (the famous Lycian Way). Everyone can find something for themselves there. Don't hesitate to ask Google and use artificial intelligence, which can show and describe everything.
Turkey. Photo from Aliaksandr Hoishyk's personal archive
The country is safe, quite cheap, with good bus and train connections. If you prepare a little, you won't have to overpay for a "five days, six nights" tour.
Istanbul is probably one of my most favorite cities in the world. Among other things, it's interesting because it's a city of cats. Cats are pets for the whole city, and this creates an incredible atmosphere.
A certain hitch is the language barrier. I, for example, get by with gestures in such cases. But artificial intelligence will also help with translation. In Turkey, and everywhere else, I advise using local services. When in Rome, do as the Romans do: don't overpay.
— Speaking of Europe. Which direction there would you recommend to those who have a Schengen visa or documents to allow themselves to travel within the EU?
— Of the countries where I haven't been in Europe yet, I primarily consider Portugal. I've heard many interesting and exciting things about this country. It has incredibly interesting cities like Porto and Lisbon. And beaches on the Atlantic Ocean. And many ancient sites. And one of the variants of the famous Catholic pilgrimage route, the Camino de Santiago — even non-religious people share enthusiastic reviews about the incredible landscapes that open up along the coast.
Lisbon. Photo: myportugalmoments.pt
And personally, I'm also interested in the fact that there is a Belarusian diaspora in Portugal. Its representatives received me very well in Bali, where there is a restaurant called "Draniki". Later they moved to Portugal. So, when I finish writing my book about my round-the-world trip, I would really like to visit the westernmost country of mainland Europe and my Belarusian acquaintances there.
— You've already mentioned Uzbekistan, Georgia, Turkey, and Portugal. What's next?
— Now I'll touch upon more expensive destinations — on other ends of the world. If we consider countries that can be visited without a visa, I would highlight two countries from Southeast Asia: Vietnam and Thailand (the latter announced its intention to abolish visas in March).
In my opinion, Thailand is the most heavenly Asian country, well-designed for tourists and travelers. Vietnam, due to its communist entourage (red flags, slogans, monuments, mausoleums, etc.), is slightly inferior, but only slightly.
These countries are more expensive for Belarusians from the point of view that flights there will be more expensive. But it's worth it.
In Thailand, you will find Buddhist shrines, party places, heavenly beaches (like in a "Bounty" ad), and exotic islands. The cuisine is incredibly delicious. I once worked for half a year in Wroclaw delivering for a Thai restaurant, ate Thai food every day — and I didn't get tired of it, it was very tasty. By the way, Tom Yum soup is included in the UNESCO intangible heritage list — like Uzbek or Tajik pilaf, or Italian pizza, or almost all Mexican cuisine.
Aliaksandr Hoishyk in Thailand. Photo from personal archive
In Thailand, people speak English quite well, they will be able to communicate with you. In Vietnam, it's worse with that, but someone might string together three words in Russian. Vietnam adds mountains to its beaches and historical sites. Infrastructure is well-developed everywhere, and you can move around independently. Nowadays, thanks to the internet, the world has become small — anywhere in the world, with some preparation, you can find everything and make your vacation both comfortable and inexpensive.
Vietnamese local cuisine is also very delicious, plus the colonial heritage (the country was a French colony) remains: coffee culture is very widespread there — with its own varieties and brewing methods.
Aliaksandr Hoishyk in Vietnam. Photo from personal archive
— You've talked about Southeast Asia. What do you recommend to the most experienced Belarusian travelers?
— When talking about the most experienced and affluent, I would recommend Latin America. With a Belarusian passport, without a visa, one can and should visit first and foremost Mexico, Peru, and Brazil. Of course, flights there are expensive.
With Mexico, there's a nuance: they are not very keen on letting people in, demanding a lot of proof (return tickets) that you won't attempt to storm the American border. I just recently returned from Mexico: there's a lot to see, developed infrastructure, delicious cuisine, cheap domestic flights. I highly recommend it.
Aliaksandr Hoishyk in Mexico. Photo from personal archive
— But how safe is it to travel independently in Mexico?
— There is a problem, it exists, but in tourist areas (Cancun, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta), given the state's interest in tourists, you can walk around very calmly. I flew to Mexico from Guatemala, where I am now, and after Guatemala, I was delighted, because you can't just walk around its capital, and if you drive, it's only in a tinted car with closed windows.
But in Mexico, my representatives of the Belarusian diaspora and I walked and drove around calmly. About a month ago, a wave of violence erupted in the country due to revenge from a drug cartel for the murder of its boss, but this happened locally, essentially in one state. And even then, shops and businesses suffered, not civilians.
Of course, I would recommend visiting Peru: the famous city of the Inca Empire, Machu Picchu, alone is worth it. Peru is a country with an incredibly interesting historical and cultural layer, moreover, it's cheap and friendly. But you need to prepare a little, perhaps learn a little Spanish.
I would conclude the list of destinations with Brazil. Here, when walking around São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, you need to be more careful due to the level of crime. But the country is unlike any other — both in culture and nature. I, for example, sailed (or walked, as they say) the Brazilian Amazon on ferries for 6 days. In some ways, it resembled our Polesia, where the only connection to civilization is the river, where villages stand on stilts.
Pay attention to the Belarusian traveler Serge Buzo, who cycled through all states of Brazil and became a popular blogger on Youtube. In the jungle, he met a jaguar on the road, this video went viral, and now Serge is a star of Brazilian social networks. He is met and helped in every city.
— What would you like to add, summarizing your list of destinations for 2026?
— I am a person who undertook a round-the-world trip that lasted 1163 days. Two years, three months, and one week. A person who has traveled a total of 95 countries on 5 continents. And I realized that the world is full of good people, and the most interesting thing about travel is getting to know local culture, traditions, and residents.
If you have the time and desire, you shouldn't sit at home and put it off until tomorrow — as they say, "later it's soup with a cat." And travel is something that will stay with you for life. Memories are more precious than money.